Moscow cemeteries

The Moscow cemeteries are managed by GBU Ritual that grants Ritual.ru the right to arrange funerals. This page of Ritual.ru website provides information on the available burial sites and methods of disposition in the Moscow cemeteries. Use the alphabetical list to find the cemetery you want to learn more about (plots, acquisition options, columbarium, price list, open hours, how to get there, etc.)

The residents of Moscow are only buried in the dedicated Moscow cemeteries. Some Moscow cemeteries have crematoria where the deceased persons’ bodies are cremated, and the ashes in urns are placed into the columbarium or a grave. “Burial” may mean one of the three following disposition methods:

Hearse with the body is placed into a grave;

Cinerary urn is placed into a grave;

Cinerary urn is placed into a niche at the columbarium.

Each cemetery must comply with the applicable requirements (sanitary, environmental, etc.).

Many Moscow cemeteries have no spare plots (see below for exceptions). In such cemeteries, only multiple burials are allowed, i.e. Additional burials to the family graves. For sanitary reasons, it is only allowed to bury another body into the family grave where both spots on the plot are occupied, after 15 years. A cinerary urn may be buried at the family plot at all times with no restrictions.

In accordance with the Russian laws, all matters related to maintaining the existing cemeteries or putting up new ones are under the jurisdiction of the state and local authorities.

How to obtain a plot in the cemetery in Moscow:

Cemetery plots for family burials are always acquired via the Moscow Board of Trade and Services. There are two ways to buy them. One is an open bidding, which is less expensive, but can last for months. The other is to purchase the plot directly. This is more expensive than via the public tender. On the other hand, this is how you can get a plot to bury a person who died recently. All plots for family burials are acquired strictly via the municipal authorities, all third party offers are fraud.

You can see the plot register at the cemeteries at the Moscow City Government website.

Free cemetery plots in Moscow

A plot in the cemetery in Moscow is granted in the following cases:

Any Moscow resident has a right to get a plot at Perepechinskoye cemetery (open for new burials in Moscow).

If there is a family grave (or the buried person is a direct relative), the plot is available for burial.

If the deceased person has the credit of the state or the City of Moscow (awards, titles, etc.), the Moscow City Government allocates a plot at one of the cemeteries (Khimkinskoye, Kotlyakovskoye, Troyekurovskoye – the current list should be checked).

Open and closed Moscow cemeteries List

There are over a hundred cemeteries in Moscow. Most of them cannot grow bigger and add up new plots for burials. Such cemeteries are referred to as closed.

Open hours:

DST (May 1 to September 30) 9 AM to 7 PM, no holidays.

Standard time (October 1 to April 30) 9 AM to 5 PM, no holidays.

Burials: 9 AM to 5 PM, no holidays.

Closed Moscow cemeteries

The following burials are available there:

Hearse:

On existing grave plot (family burials);

On family (ancestral) plots (can be acquired by public tenders held by the Moscow City Government)

Urn:

Urn burial;

Urn placement into a columbarium niche.

At the closed cemeteries, burials are available free of charge for persons awarded for special serviced by the state or the Moscow City Government.

Open Moscow cemeteries

The cemeteries with available burial plots. These are sites not far from Moscow that were open relatively recently. The new plots are intended for two burials.

Who owns the grave?

The land in the cemeteries is in public ownership. Any ‘grave owner’ is legally a person who has an exclusive right to use their plot for solely burying their relatives. Such a person is referred to as a “responsible individual.” This implies that it is illegal to sell cemetery plots to individuals, and ‘privatizing а grave’ (or a plot in the cemetery) makes no legal sense.

Such deals cannot be legally consummated (they are null and void), and are only offered by frauds who take advantage of people’s ignorance of law.

Cemetery – Official Website

Moscow Cemeteries – official website currently does not exist.

Ritual.ru offers free consultations on all matters related to burials in the Moscow cemeteries or columbaria. Call 24x7 hot line +7 (495) 100-3-100.